


Horse Sense

by Shatterpath



Series: Once Upon an Alternate Universe [5]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Femslash, Horses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-11
Updated: 2012-09-11
Packaged: 2017-11-14 01:25:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/509834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shatterpath/pseuds/Shatterpath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Horseback riding lessons bring out some familial bonding and more information about Regina.  Based loosely on Ariestess' "Redemption of a Heart" alternate universe. If you haven't read it, you'll want to. Seriously.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Horse Sense

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the Once Upon A Land bingo challenge. Because I am perverse, I took a bingo line and mashed it into a single fic. Mwahahahaha! This whole thing was spawned off from the first couple lines of dialog, I kid you not. I had fun with this one and hopefully showed my prompts decently enough. The prompts were: Best Friend-- Regina/Emma: Too late-- Cora/Henry Sr/Regina: Newborn-- Shoulder-- Regina/Charming: Nightmares aren't always what they seem.

++ Regina ++

"Is that thing safe?"

It takes real effort for James to not roll his eyes, but his retort is quietly sarcastic. "Careful, he might eat you."

The big dapple gray gelding seems nearly as unimpressed as the man with Emma's fretting and turns that big head towards the woman. Having been raised around horses, I don't understand the fear, but she does look rather small and unassuming standing there. It's rather cute, actually, showing the little girl she must have been once and adding one more layer to all of my regrets. Had I left well alone, she would know horses, would have been raised around them, would have known sword and shield and maybe even the magic that still unnerves her.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, James silently gathers patience and tries another tack. "Look, yes, some horses will bite and kick and all the horrible scenarios that are running through your head. But not this one. I know this horse. His name is Philippe and he was in the royal stables. Guess he got caught in the curse too. Trust me in that, unless you actually lop off an ear or something equally heinous, you won't even make him blink. Watch."

Quickly striding over to where Henry and I are on our usual bench, he smiles briefly and collects the steel shield resting beside me. While my son laughs, I merely smile, as the man begins to bang on the shield and dance around like a fool.

Philippe is not impressed.

Those alert ears follow the ridiculous aping of the man, but the great body doesn't even twitch. Even when James shoves at him with the shield and raps the wooden sword on his chest and neck. Yanking at the reins earns a small head toss, but as the tug is not an actual instruction, the warhorse merely watches impassively.

"Okay! Okay!" Emma finally yells and James stills. "Enough already. I'll get on the damn horse. If nothing else, I can't stand to watch you acting like a monkey any more."

That makes me chuckle and gets a quick grin from my unnerved lover. Oh, how I want to be the one teaching her this, the simple and complicated joy of horsemanship. But, I once more take a back seat to the family she was born to and content myself with watching.

Rubbing nervous hands on her jeans, Emma steps up to Philippe's side and looks up at the saddle. She doesn't even come near his withers and even the stirrup must seem impossibly high. In those tight pants, it probably is. Again, Henry and I twitter in amusement as James once more rolls his eyes and goes over to grab his grown daughter by the waist and lever her up nearly onto his shoulder.

"Good thing you're a shrimp," he teases and I'm glad to see Emma playfully smack him in the head while she tries to orient her body to the horse and to being manhandled. At last a boot gets in the stirrup and James gives her a shove to stand precariously in the metal loop before swinging her other leg over Philippe's back and settling into the saddle.

She looks regal, like she belongs there. "That's my girl," I have to murmur quietly and Henry hums in agreement.

"Excellent!" James crows. "Now, don't move and don't squeeze him with your legs yet."

"Squeeze him?"

Even James chuckles at her dry tone, laced heavily with skepticism and a sprinkle of outrage. "He's trained to the pressure of his rider's body, Emma. You squeeze with the left leg and he goes right, you squeeze with the right, he goes left. You lean forward, he does the same, and if you sit up straight and press your weight into him, he'll stop."

In demonstration, Philippe starts forward and Emma naturally panics, grabbing at him with every limb. Where he has bent over to retrieve his fighting gear, James misses the movement and I reach out with my magic to grab the trailing lead and halt the gelding. He is indeed as well-trained an animal as the prince claims and halts at the pressure on his head, ignoring his nervous rider. I can't stand not being involved anymore and gesture for Henry to let me up.

Nonplussed at my boldness, James doesn't interfere as I croon to the big horse, caressing his nose and neck. Clearly, Philippe likes it and snuffles me over like a big dog, making me smile in bittersweet pleasure. The grassy smell of his breath and the feel of the short coat and soft skin beneath are a gateway to so many memories. So many first loves wrapped up in the sensory memories...

"You're good with him," James marvels quietly and jerks me back to the present and away from my memories. Clearing my throat and blinking away tears, I lean away from where I had pressed my forehead to Philippe's thick neck.

"I was raised around horses. Before... before everything went so wrong." Shaking off the emotional pain, I straighten up and give Philippe's neck an affectionate slap. "But not warhorses. Though, if I could help maybe a little bit?"

The control freak in me, the one that reveled in my dominance as the Evil Queen, rails impotently at the child-like submissiveness of the request. But that is my life now, my control over it fleeting at best. Really, it's basically house arrest where I’m allowed out only with supervision. Frankly, we all know it's more than I deserve. But no one will argue with Emma. 

"Y'know," James muses, sounding every inch like guy-next-door David. "Philippe here has a stablemate whose company he really likes. Hey, Henry?"

Startled to be addressed, Henry trots over to stand beside me. "Yes?"

"Do me a favor, won't you? Could you run and ask Thomas to saddle up Thunder for me? And then bring him here?"

"You want me to bring him?"

The boy sounds awed at the responsibility and we grownups all get misty. Ruffling the messy hair, James grins. "He's another good horse and not nearly as big as Philippe here. Honestly, I probably should have brought him instead, but Philippe doesn't care about weapons and violent noises and such. That said, Thunder I'm betting will be an excellent match for you and your mom. Sound good?"

With an incoherent sound of delight, Henry is off like a shot, leaving me blinking back tears again.

"Thank you," I whisper and James merely looks satisfied.

"He'll need to learn anyway, and since you have the skills to teach, it will be an excellent use of everyone's time."

As though sensing my emotional fragility, James wanders away to stand at the gate that Henry disappeared through. Unutterably grateful, I press myself to Emma's leg, reveling in her gentle touch on my head. "Sometimes, I keep expecting to wake up from this dream and find myself in the nightmare again."

"I know," Emma soothes softly. "I know."

 

++ Emma ++

There are so many things I still don't know about this lover of mine. So many hurts and scars inflicted on her that she in turn inflicted on others. It gratifies me that she finds not only comfort in me, but in the massive beast I'm still perched on. One elegant hand is curled around my knee, near her ear, the other stroking Philippe's muscled shoulder.

"So, what advice do you have for a novice," I ask softly, my voice as gentle as I can manage. The dark eyes are vulnerable and grateful as she straightens up. I understand the need to not be vulnerable in so public a setting.

"Well, first of all, darling, relax. Your emotions translate quite clearly to the horse. See? Even this stoic old soldier senses the difference."

It's startling how swift the change comes over the animal when I do my best to obey. Nothing obvious to the eye, but an easing of faint stress across the whole of his body. Too well trained to respond to my stress, he nonetheless felt it. Okay, now I'm just plain fascinated.

"Wow, he's so sensitive."

"All horses are, darling. Once you've done this for some time, control of your mount will seem an extension of your own body, as natural as your own muscles performing a task. Now, I’m guessing that Philippe here has been trained to obey a hand on his halter unless overridden by his rider. So, you just sit there and be as loose as possible to get the feel for his movements."

With a quick stride, Regina moves to Philippe's head and curls her hand into the rope trailing from his chin. It looks silly, only some four feet long. Like the dinky thing could stop this massive animal! But, watching Regina, I realize that stopping him isn't the point. Like my body on his back and my legs pressed into his ribs, the rope is merely a communication tool.

Without having to worry about what exactly Philippe is doing, I can concentrate on how our bodies move together, taking my cues from the sway of his gait and he in turn learning the shifts in my weight, the grip of my muscles against his.

It's very... intimate, for lack of a better word. It's also incredibly hard work! Who knew just sitting here on a horse's back would use so many muscles? I'm going to hurt in places I didn't even know I have.

"Excellent job, Henry!" James calls out and Philippe obediently stops at Regina's shoulder, ears pricked curiously. Then I hear what must be Thunder make a deep almost growling sound and James leaps out of our vision. Both of us tense, but don't move. "Easy, easy boy. It's just Red."

Sheepishly, my best pal pokes her head around the corner and gives us a small wave. She doesn't seem all that different to me, even with her family curse returned to her, but there is something that lurks in her striking eyes. Something that confuses and alarms the horses.

"Sorry guys, I forgot horses don't like me. I have some lunch for whenever you'd like a break."

"Actually, Ruby, wait up." Our sometimes lover looks as surprised as I must at Regina's hail. "Come here."

"You're kidding, right?"

Glad she said it, because I’m certainly thinking it. 

Regina chuckles throatily, the beloved and rare sound instantly relaxing me. "Oh, silly girl, trust me. This gentleman won't do more than glare. I promise."

Nervous nearly to the point of fear, Ruby does as asked, mincing over to stand with Regina between herself and my horse. Without permission, Regina grabs one work-calloused hand and places it on the lead rope. And damned if Philippe doesn't do a damn thing more than flick his ears forward, then back, then forward again. There's just a bit of tension in him, echoed by the flaring nostrils as he tries to identify what it is about the taller woman holding his head. So I grin warmly at my pal and let the happy emotion filter through my whole body. I'm thrilled when the big horse immediately senses my acceptance and all is once again right in his world.

Regina's sweet, smug smile warms me thoroughly as does Ruby's wonder at actually being this close to a horse. "They're always afraid of me. Always. I didn't get it when I was a kid, not knowing about the wolf. He's beautiful." The little-girl wonderment in her voice nearly brings a tear to my eye. There is something so beautifully likeable in Red-- though she'll always be Ruby to me-- despite her curse. My mother saw it, I saw it, anyone with a brain, or a heart, can see it.

 

++ Henry ++

It had been easy getting Thunder saddled, Thomas allowing me to help out before the prince handed me the reins and shooing me out of the stables that used to be the pawn shop. Thunder was great until I was almost to the practice courtyard that used to be that junky old parking lot before Mom had it torn up to soft dirt. Me and the other kids like to sword practice here too, because the adults let us if we clean up the poop first. Seems a fair deal to me.

Still thrilled and a little distracted with being trusted with the grown-up task of handling my first full-sized horse, I almost panicked when he suddenly gets all weird and starts dancing around. I know that horsey noise of fear and hang onto the reins as he jerks his head back. Before I can really get afraid, James is with me, a hand on Thunder's halter, his voice gentle but firm. "Easy, easy boy. It's just Red." The horse remembers his training after a scary moment and James grins at me. I really like the guy, and not just he's actually my grandfather, so I willingly smile back. "Good job, son, you did exactly what you should have. Just hung on and waited for this fool to calm down. His fear would have been far worse if you'd panicked."

I'll ignore that he showed up before I could panic and just enjoy the praise. Patting Thunder's neck, James moves back to stand by the saddle and gestures the way he'd just come.

"Go on, lead the way. You're doing great."

Bet he's as surprised as I am to see Ruby holding Philippe's lead rope and petting the soft nose. "Wow, Mom, you are good!" I marvel and enjoy her warm smile. She's so different now that she's found Emma and gotten rid of the worst of her evil. And she taught me a lot about facing consequences and moving on as best as a person can. Even if it means that I can't do a lot of stuff with her, since she's under permanent house arrest. At least the others are willing to let her do stuff like this with me and Emma now that's it's been a little while since the curse broke. It's understandable that they don't trust her, after all, I didn't for a long time and I’ve lived with her my whole life.

As we get closer to the women, James steps up to put himself between Thunder and Ruby, but doesn't touch the horse. "It's okay, Thunder," I do my best to reassure him and it actually seems to work a bit. When we get closer, the two horses give each other a familiar sniff and Thunder settles, even with Ruby standing so close. "Here, Mom."

With a smile, Mom takes the reins and murmurs at the new horse. He's way smaller than Philippe, though still plenty big, and definitely more jumpy. "Would you like to ride first?

The question shocks me, because Mom's always been so overprotective. "You mean it?"

"Well, both James and Thomas have vouched for Thunder here. And you've been riding the ponies well. I hope you can set a good example for both Emma and Philippe."

Excited now, because Thunder here will be by far the biggest horse I've been on, I put the reins in James' waiting hand and let Mom lead me over to the stirrups. "It's so far up," I can't help but marvel as I look up the saddle.

"Let me give you a hand."

Surprised again, I put my foot in Mom's laced fingers and she boosts me up into the saddle. It's not easy to get my legs around Thunder, and it's a long way to the ground, but it's really cool being up here. "Hi Emma! Maybe we can go for a walk together!"

Just like the other times I've been on smaller mounts, my handler, this time, Mom, is shortening up my stirrups. It's a relief to be able to rest a foot in them while she ducks around James to do the other side. Emma is grinning, but I can see that she's still uncomfortable and probably getting sore from the saddle. I know it makes me sore. "Good job, kid. Hopefully, someday, we'll actually be able to take a proper ride, huh?"

Mom pauses for a moment before finishing up the second stirrup. I know she wants to ride too, but doesn't want anyone in town to get mad at her pushing her boundaries. Since I learned to love her again, I don't like seeing my Mom hurt, so I try to find something to talk about. "Hey, Mom, you never told me how you learned about horses."

"Hey, Ruby," James suddenly interrupts. "Why don't you lead Philippe here and I'll take Thunder so that Regina can walk with Henry."

"Really? Sweet! C'mon, handsome," Ruby enthuses and looks even more thrilled when the big warhorse follows her with no hesitation.

"Are you sure about this?"

No one pays any attention to Emma's worrying, because she'll be good at this once she stops worrying, and I'm happy to feel Thunder move. He's really strong and I wonder what he'd feel like running. "So?" I prompt Mom and she looks a little startled, like she'd been lost in thought.

"Well, my father worked with horses. For Snow White's grandfather in fact. He was rewarded with our family holdings in the Enchanted Forest and a prized mare named Shared Secret. She came to us when I was just a little girl and I was fascinated with her."

The sweet smile on her face makes me realize that I don't know that I've ever seen her look like this. Well, when she's not looking at me or Emma when she thinks no one is looking anyway. "What did she look like?"

"Shared? She was a bay, darker than this boy here, but her sire was a black so dark that he almost looked blue. Gorgeous stallion."

"Did she ever have any foals?"

Even from my perch above Mom's head, I can see the pain the question causes and feel bad. When she feels my hand on her shoulder, she pats it and gives me a brave, watery smile. "Yes, Shared had a foal when I was still a girl, younger than you are now. His... his name was Dark Secret and he was my best friend."

Emma is looking over her shoulder, concern in her eyes, echoed by Ruby and even James a little bit. Even with all the ugly history between Mom and Snow, James still kinda likes her now that she's good.

Shaking off her old hurt, Mom straightens up and her voice is stronger when she speaks again. "My big baby was a tough birth and he was the ugliest, scrawniest thing you ever saw. Mother..." There's that pain again. "Mother wanted him destroyed so as not to take up resources, but Father and I persuaded her to give the colt a year to see if he would grow strong. Turns out my instincts were correct and he was a magnificent stallion. We had a lot of adventures together."

There's a whole lot she's not saying, and I can make a good guess to a lot of it. After all the time persuading Emma to believe in her destiny, I nearly memorized the book of fairy tales. The Evil Queen had sacrificed her prized stallion to enact the curse, even if it hadn't worked and she killed her father instead. Bet she was riding Dark Secret when she saved young Snow, too.

So much pain, there are days I don't know how she survives it.

 

++ Regina ++

Half blind with the horrible memories, I numbly follow Philippe’s gray tail and James' tall body, trusting them with my safety. So much pain branching off of my memories of Dark Secret. How I had loved him, coddled him, understood him, relied on him. He so often was the only escape from a hellish life with my mother, and her coldness and abusive control.

Then came Daniel and my life had been so perfect for an all to brief time.

A familiar touch on my shoulder startles me and I suddenly realize that Emma has dropped back and is beside Thunder. The beautiful green eyes are soft and understanding. "Come here, love," she asks and I take her hand, hooking my foot over hers. In a moment, I'm wrapped around my lover, ignoring the rise of the saddle and Philippe's withers pressing into my rear end and other more soft spots. Emma's thighs cradle mine and her slender, wiry body is the best anchor for my rattled emotions.

The sounds of the menfolk and Thunder's hoofsteps fade away, even Philippe's large feet suddenly muffled in what sounds like grass. When I raise my head off of Emma's shoulder, regretfully leaving the sweet haven, I realize the warhorse is grazing in someone's front lawn, clearly overgrown. One of the ones that left town for the forest then.

Face to face, pressed to intimately close, I have trouble meeting Emma's familiar gaze, but force myself to do it. There are still hints of my first love there, bright sparkles of a spirit long dead but never truly gone. 

The gentle kisses come easy, Emma's arms strong and secure around my waist, her breath warm in the cool air.

"Look," I murmur quietly as I feel that Philippe is walking again. "You're riding, darling."

Craning her neck to peer around my obstructing shoulder, Emma grins and turns her attention back to me. "Guess I needed a better teacher, huh? I much prefer this style of teaching over James'."

"Me too," I chuckle and tighten my limbs around this woman who turned my life upside-down and gave me a second chance. So many times it could have been too late for us and somehow we still came together and it saved me.


End file.
